Harriet Quick, Sarah Harris and Emma Elwick tell you the latest from the catwalks at London Fashion Week. All photos are by Chris Moore

London Fashion Week women's wear collections shown and reviewed include:
Antoni and Alison, Paul Smith Women, Manish Arora, Margaret Howell, Aquascutum, John Rocha, Preen, Gareth Pugh, Ghost, Issa, and Karen Walker.

Antoni and Alison A/W 06


Chelsea Art School proved the perfect creative backdrop for a show entitled ‘Sculptress’. The maverick duo took us straight into the busy workshop with chic belted overall clad models, pensively posing with tools. The utilitarian mood continued with neat boat-neck navy dresses, tunics and cigarette pants - a mightily restrained look from such crayola coloured designers. Moss double-breasted plaid suits and fatigue green shirtdresses, were equally understated with nifty forties detailing- portrait collars, mother of pearl buttons, and evacuee style satchels. Fun accessories kept the look playful - paintbrush and light bulb necklaces, vintage silk scarves and paint-splattered rags tied around the neck. Other highlights include the easy wear dresses, from pleat-front tulip dresses, in warm golden brocade or tweed, to polka dot peplum-sleeve minis with bows. EE

Paul Smith Women A/W 06


With tailoring back in fashion it should be (yet another) good retail season for Sir Paul who showed a smart, easy wearing collection at The Royal Horticultural Halls. The shape of trouser suits ranged from pleat front mens styles with skinny fit jackets and peg trouser designs with longer line jackets in grey flannel (the colour of winter), classic black and camel. He hit another key trend plaid in muted shades of chestnut in shift dresses and neat little bombers. Great coats too were offered like a dolman sleeved camel tie belt and a swaggering boyfriend style. Velvet appeared for that day to night shift in sweet heart neckline styles with big coin dots. Also doing double service were tulip shaped skirts in metallic wools and lame. Sir Paul loves the sexy librarian look so when the models with specs shook their hair a little for the finale in the gold glitter rainfall - things looked just so. HQ

Manish Arora A/W 06


Showing his second season at London fashion week, Indian designer Manish Arora brightened London fashion week with a tidal-wave of carnival, and the arresting colour of a Bollywood poster. Models with faces emblazoned with sequins and bindis, took a fantastical journey around the world in thirty looks. Emerging from the Nordic snow-drift catwalk (complete with Christmas trees), were pagoda tiered dresses in shocking fuchsia and vibrant turquoise, Ottoman-princess fur swing coats, and purple velvet trapeze dresses embroidered with Mughal golden foot motifs of his beloved homeland. Manish’s simple dollhouse shapes and aesthetic made a riotous addition to the schedule. Folkloric and childlike references were added to the glittering mix, with naïve hearts, angels and forest appliqués. The final look paid homage to his new home, with an ornate bandeau dress –sequin union jacks, underground signs, a fleet of beefeaters, Big Ben and even the London Eye screamed Rule Britannia! EE

Margaret Howell A/W 06


Margaret Howell has become a byword for quintessentially British style and quality. For Autumn/Winter 2006, she gave us the elegant eternals we expect (crisp white shirts, Hepburn-worthy men’s cut slacks), with a strong nod to the crafty heritage of these fair isles; oversize herringbone dust coats, nubby oatmeal cable knit zip-up cardigans and new wool jacquard tank-tops. Imagine a public school girl decamping to the country for the weekend, with boxy blazer jackets, loosely gathered velvet skirts paired with frilled bib front granddad shirts, duffle coats and slim line grey sheaths worn pinafore style with pristine white shirts underneath. Natty bowler hats added a cheeky city smart twist to Howell’s rustic idyll. Neat lace-up suede ankle boots by rising Brit shoe star Rupert Sanderson (in time-honoured autumnal tones of olive and burgundy) completed the look. The air of the tomboy lingered with Two-Tone black and white checks and an innovative waistcoat dress. Faded army shirts cinched with heavy-duty brown leather belts, and muddy hued cashmere beanies looked fit to fight winter’s bleakest elements. EE

Aquascutum A/W 06


Growing in confidence, Aquascutum’s Michael Herz and Graeme Fidler went all out in their third season with a thoroughly dressed up show of grown up elegance. Delving into the house’s vast archives the pair reworked several pieces to great effect for both the boys and girls Classic trench coats were made modern, one came cropped and was fashioned into a mini capelet. White shirts were also a fixture, (yes, here to stay) they came in classic poplin styles and demure silk; every one boasting a couture feel - even the raincoats were glamorous in oyster washed out duchesse satin. The colour palette worked wonderfully for a rainy autumn day; black, slate and brown were given life with bolts of painterly off-colours - teal, red and acid yellow. SH

John Rocha A/W 06


John Rocha’s love affair with volume continued this season; every look enveloped the body his use of sumptuous fabric softest knits, silk and wool made it all the more appealing. His first exit, a loose ivory coloured Fifties-style car coat, set the tone. Sticking to his usual monochrome palette (aside from a few hits of red that showed up in the shape of shift dresses layered over black chiffon short-sleeved blouses or were decorated with rosettes) other standouts included neat ‘puffa’ style shirts that cocooned the body and sleeveless sweater dresses. To keep the chill out, Rocha offered home spun hats and long skinny scarves. SH

Preen A/W 06


Duo Justin and Thea pulled off a lovely streamlined sophisticated collection in a muted palette of stone, greys, lipstick red and black which will fill that desire and taste once satisfied by Helmut Lang’s modernist fantasy. First out were a series of boyfriend coats tied into the waist with long wrap belts, some with sleeves turned up, others with long lapels turned up to nonchalant effect. And easy modern cool is what this duo are about. Pretty cashmere wrap tops with bandage straps crossing over the chest topped bell shaped skirts in oyster silk, while mini rabbit jackets in dove grey were belted over jersey skirts which buttoned up like a cardie worn as skirt at the back. The effect was anything but DIY. Evening dresses in black, grey or brilliant red, many featuring that tulip shaped skirt had graphic panelled bodices or plenty of plunge between turned up lapels. Just make sure skin and décolleté is buffed to a T. HQ

Gareth Pugh * A/W 06


Ex Central St. Martins student, Pugh offered that breath of fresh,madcap air that London so needs. Having graduated from the Fashion East catwalk Pugh entered the OnlOff stage with an all black collection that drew on Leigh Bowery’s sense of the extreme and bizarre as well as street life in urban subterranean clubs. His fantasy fetish figures strode down the catwalk in DM’s and sculpted black outfits a high waisted skirt skinny top and giant bubble jacket or a giant ruff collar and skinny PVC trousers as if emerging pale faced from a very long night. Hair was sculpted like topiary afros into pom pom and graphic up dos playing the outsize proportions of his duvet coats in patchwork PVC and leather and mink tail hemmed giant crochet cardigans. His life size poodle figure looked like a muse for Jeff Koons and would certainly shock your mum. HQ

Ghost A/W 06


Long is back for day and for evening and according to Tanya Sarne - for everything. The silhouette and mood had echoes of Edwardian ladies via Biba in the 70s. Long bias cut dresses featured delicate embroidery over tight bodices, while tiny puff sleeved jackets were belted over long sweeping skirts in muted tones of cocoa and anthracite. Modesty is the new sexuality so neck lines were kept high and sleeves to wrist length, though with plays of velvet and viscose, and the sinewy silhouette the effect was far from prim. London figures like Twiggy and Jibby Beane looked on approvingly. HQ

Issa A/W 06


Count the sisters in the front row Fiona and Olympia Scarry in black YSL, Charlotte and Alice Dellal in biker jackets, and the cute Geldorf girls Brazilian born, designer party girl Daniella Helayel certainly knows how to pull in the it girls. Issa is the Brazilian word for eureka when catching that perfect surf wave and this label is on one. The stretchy print jersey dresses have become the new DVF alternative and there were plenty of styles to chose from with exotic bird and feather prints some wrap and plunge others with long blouse sleeves in rich shades of tangerine and brown, peacock and lime. Little lurex thread blouses fitted neatly under styles in matching prints or little silk neck scarves filled in when plunge just wont do. For evening, styles were elongated to full length or covered with dazzling rhinestones. There’s a lovely sexy simplicity to wearing Issa which makes for a surefire retail success. HQ

Karen Walker A/W 06


It was clothes for a countryside jaunt checked shirt dresses had an outdoorsy lumberjack feel while heavy, cosy blanket coats kept shape with the help of tightly cinched wide patent belts. Knitwear was also prevalent; tweedy outsize shorts were teamed with wooly rusty-coloured boyfriend-style sweaters, while baggy, ribbed fisherman jumpers in olive were slung over silky sheath evening dresses giving careful appeal. Suiting was also key - for the office, Walker offered tailored, skinny-cut cropped trousers, and mannish blazers that were worn with grey flannel ties; meanwhile her pussy bow tied blousey silk dresses (secretary style) were particularly arresting. True to her kooky form, most looks were accessorised with braces (not worn, but left down at the side) berets, and neckerchief scarves. SH

Publisher: london fashion week
The British Fashion Council owns and organises London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards. It also seeks to help British designers to develop their businesses and has published Designer Fact File, a guide to setting up a designer fashion business and the Designer Manufacturing Handbook.
Web: www.londonfashionweek.co.uk
Published: february 15 2006
Market: mens womens
Region: england
Industry: apparel accessories

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